FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: Time to get into summertime shape

I brought this column to life late last year with a little bit of a look into some weight I had lost and the temptations that surrounded trying to diet.

Sure enough, one month into my hardcore diet I dropped 25 pounds. Here we are five months later and, sure enough, I’ve gained back 22 of those pounds. It was only a matter of time really. My will power around sweets is the equivalent of a 5 year old.

So now I’m going to try this again. I figure by announcing this right here, you can keep me accountable. Let me tell you what you can do.

I am on a high protein, low carb diet- so that eliminates anything like French fries, sweets, breads, etc. I know, what diet doesn’t do that, right? But to meet my goal of losing 20 pounds over the next month I need to religiously stay away from these things. I drive a blue GMC Envoy, so if you see me dart into a fast food joint around lunch time, or cut off three cars while taking a quick 90-degree turn into a Mexican restaurant at the whiff of dinner smells, I’m going to need you to stop me.

I’ve prepared a few jabs you can use to send me back down the highway hungry. They are simple, really:

1. Hey there, nice belly.

2. Shouldn’t you have shed your baby fat by now?

3. Food is not your friend.

Those are just a few you can shout out your window without making too much effort. Is it mean? Sure. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I have a wedding fast approaching (October) and the summer will be here soon. I don’t think belly fat is an “in thing” this year.

So with your help, let’s see if I can keep myself accountable without paying big money for some personal trainer to yell at me or a program to keep me on track.

Why pay when you can do it for free? And I’m sure some of you would like to yell at me anyway. Don’t miss your chance – I don’t plan a relapse in five months this time.

-Josh Peterson is the editor of the Manchester Times. He has won TPA awards for his writing and photography. He can be reached by email at mteditor@lcs.net or by telephone at 931-728-7577 ext. 105. Follow him on Twitter @joshpeterson29